Best Soulsborne Games Order For A Beginner

The Soulsborne game collection, renowned within the gaming industry, is distributed across multiple franchise titles, a situation that can sometimes prove perplexing.

Following Elden Ring’s widespread success, introducing the gameplay style to a broader audience, there has been an increasing interest in playing FromSoftware games. However, some individuals are unsure about how to do so.

In this particular field, you’ve got exclusive options, series under distinct titles, and varying levels of complexity. Navigating through this can be challenging, but don’t let that discourage you – it’s certainly not an insurmountable task.

Given my personal history of playing the Soulsborne series since their debut, I would recommend this ideal sequence for beginners to experience the Soulsborne games, arranged in order.

1. Elden Ring

The Most Versatile

Elden Ring represents the Soulsborne series’ pinnacle of polish, built upon FromSoftware’s extensive expertise and crafted to offer a welcoming experience without compromising its unique character.

With its expansive open-world setting, abundant options for personalized gameplay, multiplayer capabilities, and summoning feature, it’s seldom encountered that a challenge proves insurmountable.

Regardless, it preserves the classic test of its type, enabling you to determine the extent to which you utilize its features to enhance your journey. In other words, it offers you flexibility in setting the level of challenge that suits your skills best.

In The Lands Between, you have the freedom to venture into new territories, enhance your abilities, upgrade your equipment, call upon allies, and more – essentially tailoring the challenge of your adventure to suit your preferences.

In Elden Ring, the first Soulsborne game you’ll be playing, the choice is yours: either restrict features to heighten the challenge or utilize them fully to make it as easy as possible. The control over this difficulty level is in your hands – that’s the secret to mastering the game.

2. Bloodborne

A More Accessible Difficulty

Among Soulsborne gamers, it’s commonly agreed that Bloodborne’s boss battles are perceived as offering the least difficulty compared to others.

In comparison to similar games, this one is particularly user-friendly because it lacks or reduces the usual challenges that might hinder progression.

Although the healing system and layout of levels might seem complex, Bloodborne compensates by offering more manageable systems, considering its less traditional role-playing game (RPG) approach.

In this scenario, weapons are limited in number and equally effective, while armor doesn’t significantly affect the outcome of battles. This means you can focus solely on combat without fretting over whether your chosen build is optimal or if you’re in the ideal position. The ease of movement and progression in the game, which I’ll refer to as its relative straightforwardness, further simplifies this.

Mastering the parry technique significantly streamlines numerous interactions with both minor enemies (minions) and major ones (bosses), making the game appear less challenging than often perceived.

3. Demon’s Souls

The Most Obtuse

As the pioneer of the Soulsborne series, Demon’s Souls is notoriously difficult to grasp, given it was FromSoftware’s initial foray into this type of gameplay, which often leaves players feeling perplexed or uneasy.

In a similar vein to the game Bloodborne, its level design and healing system are challenging, even unmerciful. Yet, it’s the intricate mechanics like World Tendency and Human/Soul Form that could potentially deter novice players due to their complexity and potential intimidation factor.

Even though many games developed under the same management can show signs of aging due to their structures, these titles often compensate by being straightforward and predictable, which in turn enhances accessibility. When it comes to combat, this particular game stands out as the most user-friendly within the Souls series, thus maintaining a balance.

While I’d love to suggest starting with “Demon’s Souls” to witness FromSoftware’s evolution, I must caution that it might not be appealing for everyone. Instead, it could potentially deter you rather than entice. Therefore, to ensure an enjoyable gaming experience, it would be prudent to consider other games first.

4. Dark Souls

The True Beginning of Your Journey

Many people consider Dark Souls to be the true origin of the Soulsborne game series, as it served as a pivotal moment in the franchise’s development and evolution.

As for ease of use, it strikes a great balance – it’s tough enough to keep novice players engaged, yet never seems unjust, offering more rewarding mechanics instead.

The organization of its regions, RPG aspects, bosses, and overall gameplay components is impressive, leading to a significantly higher requirement for player expertise.

The designs have become intricate, opponents are cunning and tricky, and the layout necessitates careful consideration due to the risk of getting disoriented and feeling irritated.

Indeed, Dark Souls is both inviting and rigorous, serving as a test to determine your ability to conquer the toughest challenges that FromSoftware offers. In simpler terms, it’s a game that measures your resilience and skill level when facing its most grueling obstacles.

5. Dark Souls 2

Convenient for a Veteran

Although many suggest either skipping Dark Souls 2 or saving it for later, let me present an opposing view: I wholeheartedly recommend playing it immediately following the original Dark Souls.

This imaginative sequel attempts to present novel elements, though it often falls short and may become consistently aggravating.

Both these regions and their bosses are tougher than Dark Souls, primarily because of technical glitches. The high volume of irritating adversaries coupled with debatable hit zones often make it seem like you’re losing more because of unfairness rather than lack of skill.

In contrast, the gameplay in Dark Souls 2 stands out as exceptionally diverse and rich among all the Soulsborne series, meaning there’s virtually limitless potential for refinement and repeated play.

Additionally, the game’s title boasts some extraordinarily tall spikes, more so when including the downloadable content. It provides an enhanced experience for wrapping up the trilogy’s conclusion.

6. Dark Souls 3

Time to Rise to the Challenge

For a smooth storyline experience and to fully appreciate the polish of the Dark Souls trilogy, I would recommend playing through the games in the order they were released.

Consequently, this means that Dark Souls 3 serves as a fitting conclusion to the series, wrapping up its narrative beautifully. In terms of both gameplay and story, it offers an enjoyable experience, making it an ideal choice for fans to continue enjoying one of the greatest trilogies ever created.

Primarily, what sets this game apart is the increased challenge posed by its bosses compared to previous versions. Including the DLCs, the difficulty level soars even higher due to some of the toughest bosses ever featured in gaming history.

Starting with Dark Souls 3 was a misstep for me because it is the most challenging and comprehensive game in the series, making the rest seem sluggish by comparison. However, playing the trilogy in chronological order allows one to witness the developer’s progression and the increasing difficulty level, so I prefer to stick with that approach.

7. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

A New World of Difficulties

Instead of wrapping up your Soulsborne voyage on an easier note, consider concluding it with the least demanding among the bunch – Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Known for its high difficulty level, this game is undoubtedly one of the toughest video games out there. However, by now, you’ll be well-equipped to handle its challenges.

Indeed, it’s important to note that preparation can vary greatly due to Sekiro’s distinct gaming style. Unlike many other games, it lacks RPG mechanics, summoning abilities, and a wide range of secondary tools. In essence, what this means is that one must dedicate oneself to mastering the game to fully enjoy it.

This one stands out as uniquely challenging and distinct among the other FromSoftware games, a fact that becomes even more apparent once you’ve played through the rest of their titles. Prepare for a fresh adjustment in your gaming skills.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice thrives on your ability to achieve a state of focused flow, particularly since its main and optional boss battles are formidable even for seasoned gamers. Yet, you’ll discover it’s more than worth the effort, as this game is truly one of the best and most rewarding ever made.

2025-02-03 17:40